


Fury's Favorite

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: All the kids know Coulson is Fury's favorite, Control Issues, Coulson making eyes at Skye like she's made of rainbows, Gen, Hand liking Coulson despite herself, Mocking, SHIELD, SHIELD Sibling Rivalry, The Clairvoyant - Freeform, Victoria Hand is not sentimental, canonical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2181441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet in which Victoria Hand muses over Coulson giving Skye her SHIELD badge in End of the Beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fury's Favorite

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RowboatCop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowboatCop/gifts).



She hadn't wanted to be back on Coulson's plane so soon.

But he had information and she might need that to recalibrate.

On the one hand, Blake was bordering on paranoia and possibly insubordination, by suggesting Agent Coulson was some mastermind toying with them.

On the other, she couldn't fathom, watching him now, that Agent Coulson was a mastermind of _anything_.

The girl?

Possibly.

She was an 084, after all.

Maybe she was on the gifted spectrum?

He looked like...something...

Smirking to herself when it clicked, she remembered back to one of her ex-girlfriend's (really, ex-ex-girlfriend's) pet cocka-something.

It's cute, devoted little face and bright eyes, just staring, tail wagging, waiting for approval.

Or for someone to throw it a bone.

Although, maybe Coulson was the one throwing the bone, here.

Who was to say? She'd heard stories.

It was probably the kind of thing that would melt a 20-something consultant.

And yet, she can't deny.

She kind of hates even admitting it.

His unorthodox team has produced impressive results.

And she _likes_ impressive results.

Whether this will produce something worthwhile or not remains to be seen.

What she's seen so far is a senior SHIELD agent making puppy dog eyes at a subordinate.

The puppy with a plan.

_If Fury could see this..._

She stops herself, wants to roll her eyes, but can't.

Fury probably _has_ seen this.

That's really what's been bothering her from the start.

Fury does have his favorites.

She knows that he admires her clean logic and methodological approach to tactical.

She is _not_ a favorite and probably never will be.

Coulson _is_.

Here on the fringes, with his Scooby Gang.

Shocking.

She knows Fury well enough to know he has his reasons, but she also knows Fury is playing chess and they are all moving parts.

The pieces are starting to look around and wonder why this one is getting to have a private party on a company plane with its own bar.

Someday, she could do it. Her way would be different.

Whatever Coulson is doing now, that's not it.

She's had to give up a lot to get where she is.

When she made a decision in the Academy to put all of that aside, it was a real committment.

Skye came from the Rising Tide. She's a _hacker_.

She's a target, not an asset.

Blake might just be right.

After Coulson died? No one knows just exactly how he came back.

What came back.

_What if he's..._

She doesn't like unknowns, but she'll leave the mad scientist shit to the mad scientists.

That's not her forte.

Not that she wants to ride him off, either.

Especially if he can flush out this Clairvoyant.

But she wants some distance and some perspective.

It's obvious Coulson's whole goal was to get Skye to design this op.

She's barely made Level One agent.

Impressive that she saved his life and managed to track him down. There's no denying a certain level of skill there.

But does Coulson have the discipline to really make the best use of it?

The way they were looking at each other suggests he's a bit more than a mentor.

It may not be that.

Or, it might be _exactly that_.

Certainly wouldn't be the first time she's seen it.

She'd made the mistake once of getting involved with the lower ranks. Never with a subordinate, of course.

That's when she'd decided if she wanted to get to the top, it was going to be a lonely ride.

Because sharing a bed made you share secrets. And sharing secrets in this line of work was almost always lethal.

If not for yours then for someone else down the line. Someone in the field, someone who would be exposed if the wrong word was said at the wrong time.

The sooner she can get off this plane and back to work the better.

It's one thing to watch the circus, it's another to be its clown.

Coulson's very mistaken if he thinks she's a part of this in any way.

Working with John Garrett in any capacity is not in the cards. What an arrogant asshole.

Garrett is everything she worked hard to rise above in this agency.

She'll be here if the operation goes south.

Positioned where she wants to be, not by Coulson's pet project.

 


End file.
